Just Know
by EtincelleD'OR
Summary: Variation of events in ep 203. Isis and Mahado realise the extent to which their feelings for each other have grown. But now it is too late. In this lifetime anyway. Just as they betray the unspoken rule, and learn refraining from true love is impossible.


_**"Just Know..."**_

**Me: Okay, this is kinda random, but it's an alternate scene to when Isis meets Mahad before he leaves. Review!!**

_"Just know, in my vision, you do return."_

Mahad wore a grim look on his face. There was something about this that just didn't feel right. It felt like he was turning down a path that led to nowhere in particular. What if his plan didn't work? No, It had to. He had to do something. He could not stand by and watch while the area surrounding the capital city of Hwt-Ka-Ptah suffered. Murders, rapes, kidnaps, hostage-taking, thieving. Mahad felt disgusted at himself for not doing something earlier. Surely he could do something. He squinted into the Sun - it was the first time in a long time that he had felt unsure of his abilities. His powers, his courage, his heart.

Yes, his heart was thumping wildly in his chest. He listened to his feet treading on the soft sand and the scrape of the goods his men were pulling along behind him. And that little boy...

The one who had asked him if he was here to protect them. That had been the final straw. He had volunteered so quickly, but now felt like he was staring death itself in the face. Not that he regretted making the decision, but why did he see his life flashing before his eyes?

As his procession made their way to the gate, a glimmer of white against the dull stone of the temple caught his eye. He turned his head to see a panic-stricken High Priestess gingerly peeping from behind a pillar, and walking out when she saw him looking. Had she been waiting to catch him?

Mahad let out an involutary gasp as his heartbeat quickened still. In the same way it did three years ago, when he first joined the Court. She joined at the same time as he did as the new Seer. He discovered that her name was Isis. Rê she was beautiful. Like nothing he had ever seen before. He had pushed his feelings away. The Pharaoh came first. Just like now.

Her name rolled smoothly from his tongue. "Isis!"

The young woman looked him in the eye. "Mahad!"

Mahad paused as he felt his body temperature rise. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

She twiddled her thumbs and looked flustered, now and then breaking the eye-contact. "I..." she stuttered, "I'm not sure you should go through with this."

Mahad involuntarily gasped again, his eyes widening. He made himself relax, letting out the breath he had been holding in. "So you were able to read my future weren't you?" he said.

She nodded, before clasping her hands together infront of her. "Please..." she begged him, her deep blue eyes pleaing with his.

His lip began to shake. He had to somehow stop these childish feelings from pulsing through him. "Actually I would prefer not to know." he said finally

She sighed, as if she were in pain. He slowly raised his hands up and cupped them around hers, making her look up at him. She was starting to cry. "Isis..." he began, "I..." he quickly stopped himself. He couldn't say it now. It was too late. "I..." it stuck in his throat. "Keep an eye on the Pharaoh."

Savouring the feeling of her skin, he let her hands go and strode past her, his arm just brushing hers as he walked. He heard her sigh again.

"Please wait."

Mahad's feet stopped him dead in his tracks. "Just know, in my vision, you do return."

He closed his eyes to stop the tears that were welling from falling. "Thank you." he managed, but his feet still wouldn't move.

She turned around. "Mahad?" she said, brushing a tear from her cheek, before striding towards him and using his shoulders to swing herself round infront of him. Before he could reply, he felt something very warm and very pleasant over his mouth. His eyes widened from the shock, before falling closed as the feeling of flying took over. She had kissed him. He brought his hands up to her shoulders and ran them down her arms, as she laid one hand on his chest and the other around his neck.

Isis couldn't let this get too good - she wanted to keep it passionate, yet short, so she wouldn't dwell on it too much. She gently broke the contact, but they were still far too close, their mouths only millimetres apart. She wanted to let him go - to seperate herself from him and go back indoors. But she just couldn't pull herself away from him. Her heart was thudding so loud she was surprised he couldn't hear it.

They wanted to badly to kiss each other again - it was like the attraction of two magnets. Slowly and subconsciously, they lent towards each other again, their lidded eyes closing. She felt his strong arms wrap themselves tightly around her waist and back, pressing her to him. This time it was more passionate. She let his tongue slide into her mouth and massage her own as she held him tighter and felt the pulsating beat of his heart beneath the palm of her hand. Why didn't she go to him yesterday? At least they would have maybe had a night together then, but no. She hadn't Seen it all then. Her heart wrenched - she had lied to him. But only because she didn't want him to know he was going to die. It would be too heartbreaking. But somehow - she didn't know how - she felt that he already knew. He knew therefore that she was lying, and still...

He had thanked her.

She felt something warm and salty trickle down her face...

Was she crying?

As Mahad ran his fingers gently through her soft hair beneath her headdress, he felt something warm and wet against his cheek, and then his mouth. She was crying? Like a chain reaction, tears began to leak from his eyes, streaming down and mixing with hers, smudging his eyeliner a little. He began to realise that, if he did not stop this soon, he never would. The air felt like sharp daggers against his lips, and the still pouring tears stung his skin as he saw her close her eyes again.

He bit his lip sharply, his breath coming in short gasps. "Just know..." he breathed, his chest heaving, the words rolling from his tongue, "I will always love you..."

She lent her head against his chest. "I'll always love you too..." she whispered.

"One day..." he said slowly, stuttering and shivering as he said it, "One day, we shall be free again." Feeling his heart wrench once more, he kissed her forehead one final time, "I will come back for you." he said, "I promise."

Mahad couldn't take any more. His grip on her tightened, before loosening and they stepped away from each other. He turned around and walked towards his group of soldiers, wondering if his knees wouldn't give way from underneath him. One final look back through clouded eyes was heartbreaking enough - with that one look, she broke down into sobs and ran back into the palace. Back through the numorous corridors, earning the stares of anybody she passed. She didn't stop once. As she reached the floor where the Sacred Guardians' chambers were, she made for hers as quickly as she could, knocking past none other than Seto, who had barely seen her coming.

"Isis?" he said, quite genuinely flabbergasted, as he turned to watch her retreat to her room, where the door slammed shut. "Isis!!" he shouted, walking to her door and knocking brusquely, "Isis open this door!! What has gotten into you??"

Isis did not answer. She had thrown herself down onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. In a moment of fury, she scrabbled at the clasp of the Millennium Necklace behind her neck, released it and threw it, smashing it into the wall on the other side of her room, before pulling off her headdress and letting her hair fall over her back normally.

"_Stupid useless good-for--nothing power!! What good is it?? How am I supposed to protect the Pharaoh when I cannot even protect Mahad? I'm a failure. Nothing but a failure!!_" she shrieked.

Seto stood with his ear to the door, listening as intently as he could. His expression of curiosity changed to one of slight sadness. He stood up straight again, his one hand lain gently against the door as it dawned on him slowly. "Mahad isn't coming back..."

Mahad made his way back to the soldiers, his eyes red and his eyeliner smudged. He tried to look away from them, but did notice as each and every one of them dropped their heads in respect and, more importantly understanding. As he wiped his face clean, one of them was brave enough to speak up. "Master Mahad, are you alright?"

Mahad took a deep breath. "I'm not sure." he replied shakily.

The guard's brow tensed. He gave a brief glance to the others, before speaking again. "She will be fine Sir." he said, pausing before continuing, "You are destined for great things, you and she. Fate has a funny way of arranging these things. Your time will still come."

Mahad turned around to the soldier. He gave a curt nod and a small, very brief smile, before gathering himself once more. "Onward!" he announced. The party began to move, and as they exited the Palace Gates, Mahad tried, once more, to distract his thoughts. In the only way he knew how.

_"It has always been my duty, to protect you my Pharaoh."_


End file.
